Diving apparatus.



A. B. DRAGBR.

DIVING APPARAT US. APPLICATION FILED 001122, 1913.

3131 490 Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

ALEXANDER BERNHABD DRAGER, or Lt'rBEcK, GERMANY.

mvme APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 19115.

Application filed October 22, 1913. Serial No. 796,648.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER BERN- HARD DRAGER, a subject of the GermanEmperor, and resident of Liibeck, in the German Empire, have inventednew and use ful Improvements in Diving Apparatus, of which the followingis a specification.

The present invention relates to diving apparatus ordivers dresses andmore particular to means by which accidents can be avoided which happenby a sudden falling 1 down of thediver into greater depth or by a suddenrise. When falling to a greater depth the column of water above thediver increases correspondingly, so that the dress is pressed togetherto a greater extent and the air within is driven or compressed into thehelmet. It even happens that the diver himself is pressed into thehelmet whereby his life is endangered. On a sudden rise the column ofwater decreases and the pressure of air 1 within the dress having lesscounter pressure from outside causes an infiation and even has thetendency to' burst the dress. It is very diflicult and frequentlyimpossible for the diver to find preventive measures to save himself.

According to the present invention means are provided for maintainingthe necessary uniform space of air. At a certain height of the dressdepending on the amount of air which is required within the dress, theyielding wall or part of the dress is connected with a valve or the likein such manner that on a change of pressure taking place it will bemoved in that moment, in which the height of thewater corresponding tothe' pressure of the inclosed buoyant air becomes greater or less thanthe first named height. This object can be obtained by means of a springpressed member adapted to be moved by pressure and connected with avalve or the like controlling a pipe connecting the dress with an airreservoir, in such manner that, when said member is moved in surpassingthe respective height of water column, the valve is opened and allowscompressed air or gas to enter the dress. In

a similar manner a second valve or the like may be connected with thedress to allow air to escape from the dress, when the same is inflatedbeyond the normal condition by an excessiveinner pressure of air. Thesaid yielding member spoken of above need not be a part of the dressproper but it is only necessary, that such member forms part of thesurface inclosing the space of air filling the dress. Even the surfaceof water or other liquid may form part of the said wall as will beclearly understood from the description given below.

In the drawings: Figure 1 shows the upper part of a divers dressprovided with the device forming the subject matter of the invention.Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the device.

The wall forming part of the inclosingsurface of the confined air isformed by a spring pressed diaphragm a arranged within the casing aconnected with the helmet g by a pipe f, on one side of the diaphragm.On the-other side of the diaphragm the easingis provided with openingsz, thus allowing the outer water pressure to take elfect on thediaphragm. The diaphragm is connected by toggle levers Z with a valve eclosing a pipe f which connects the casing a with a reservoir it. Whenthe water pressure increases by the diver falling to a greater depth,the diaphragm a is bulged out against the action of a spring 0 as shownthe diaphragm whereby a vent valve d which is also connected with thetoggle levers Z is opened until the pressures are balanced again.

Evidently the new improvements can be employed on diving apparatus ofdifierentkinds for instance in diving sledges and other apparatus usedfor conveying divers under water as long as the elastic clothings are ofsuch length in vertical direction, that the lowest part of theinflatable section of the clothing undergoes a perceptible change inascending or descending.

I claim:

1. In a diving apparatus, the combination with a diving dress, of acasing connected to and communicating with the dress and having ayielding wall arranged to be subjected to hydraulic pressure, means tosupply compressed air to the casing, and means ing a flexible wall, acompressed airreservo1r arranged to communicate with the chamber,a'valve to control the admission of air to the latter, and meansoperated by variation of hydraulic pressure on the Wall to open andclose said valve.

3. In a diving apparatus, the combination with a diving-dress, of acasing connected to the dress and having an openingtherein, a

- flexible diaphragm in the casing forming a closed chambercommunicating with the dress, a compressed air reservoir arranged tocommunicate with the chamber, and a valve in the chamber operable bythediaphragm to control the admission of air to said chamber.

4. In a' diving apparatus, the combination with a diving-dress, of acasing carried by the dress and having an opening to admit water to thecasing, a flexible diaphragm in the latter formin a closed chambercommunicating with t e dress, a compressed a1r reservoir arranged tocommunicate with the chamber, a valve to control the admission of air tothe chamber, a vent valve in the latter, and means operated by thediaphragm to open one valve and close the other.

I ALEXANDER BEBNHARD 'DRKGER.

Witnesses:

FRIEDRICH PLA'rH, JOHN WULF.

